“I mean, not everyone finds their soulmate when they’re three.”
Shit. Shit. Shit. Come on, Trey. I know you’re not necessarily the smartest one, but please let this drop. Robert doesn’t want to deal with this right now. Presley, wake up. Do something. Anything to distract them.
I open my eyes, yawning and stretching against the seat as I gently rub the back of Robert’s neck, playing with the hair along his collar. “Hey there, handsome.”
“Hey, beautiful. Did you have a good nap?” He smiles at me and leans a little more into my hand.
“So good.” I smile back at him.
“Pres, I was telling Brice I could take Liv out tonight for a couple of hours if y’all wanted some alone time.”
I pretend to be in shock and bat my eyes at Robert. I already know what he’s gonna say, but I can at least give him one more chance to change his mind. “Thanks, Trey. You’re too sweet. Brice, what do you think?” I give him my most suggestive smile as he shakes his head in amusement.
“I think Liv would be pissed if we didn’t finish out the double date together.”
Well shhhit. “True.”
“I guess you’re right. Since we’ve only been dating for a couple of weeks, there’s no reason to piss her off, yet.”
“Trey, you better not intentionally piss her off ever. I’m not above murder.” Robert chuckles, and Trey swallows deeply, his Adam’s apple bouncing in his throat as I glare over my shoulder at him.
The truck jostles as we turn off the main road and up the drive. Liv wakes up and sleepily snuggles into Trey. Parking the truck, Robert looks between Liv and me, breathing in deeply before he speaks up. “We’ll see you two in a couple of hours. I hope you both had fun today.”
His eyes are focused on me, mouthing the words, “I’m sorry,” while Liv rambles on about something. She opens her truck door and hops out.
“I guess we’ll see you soon,” is all I can manage to get out as disappointment and self-doubt begin to wash over me.
Chapter Nineteen
An hour later, Liv is a bustle of excited energy while I lean against my headboard. Why didn’t he take Trey’s offer? We’ve hardly gotten a moment alone together since school started back again. Maybe he’s rethinking things. But then again, perhaps I’m overthinking things. Turning molehills into mountains, which is totally something I do.
“Earth to Presley. Come in, Pres. Anybody there?” Snapping out of my trance, I see Liv has a concerned expression on her face. She sits on the bed next to me, “Hey, what’s going on? You’ve been quiet ever since we got home. I know you and Brice didn’t have a fight.”
“It’s nothing, Liv,” I say with a sigh cloaked in disappointment.
“I call bullshit, and you know it. Pres, I know we haven’t been friends for too long, but I know you, and as your honorary best friend, it is my sole responsibility to call you out on your crap. I wouldn’t be a good friend if I didn’t. Now spill, what’s going on?” She sits back against the headboard with me and I rest my head on her shoulder.
Liv may very well be my first true girlfriend. She welcomed me when she didn’t have to, she introduced me to some amazing people, and she unknowingly gave me back my Robert. “Would you be upset if Brice and I didn’t go out tonight?” She pushes out her bottom lip in a pouting manner and instantaneously I feel terrible for asking. “I’m not feeling too good right now.”
“Mmmm.” She lets loose a long and exasperated sigh. “I still don’t believe you, but if you’re gonna play the sick angle, I guess I’ll go with it.” She gives me a sideways glance before sliding off the bed and rummaging through her luggage for something cute to wear tonight. “If you want the pity card from Brice, you should at least throw on a pair of cute pajamas and touch up your makeup. Just because you’re not feeling well doesn’t mean you need to look like death showed up to collect your soul.” She throws me a smile over her shoulder, and I’m thankful to have her in my life.
I stifle my laughter as she throws me a pair of cream and black polka-dotted pajama shorts and an off the shoulder black pashmina sweater. I don’t think I’ve ever had something so soft against my skin. “He won't be able to keep his hands off you in this. I did bring it in hopes of having Trey’s hands on me, but I think you are a worthier cause.” She lets out a giddy laugh and continues getting ready for the evening, moving back and forth between my bedroom and bathroom as I stare at the pajamas she’s lent me.
God, what would I do without her? “Hey Liv, can I ask you something?”
“Sure. What’s up?”
“First, you have to promise not to laugh or get offended.”
She pokes her head out from the bathroom with a bewildered look on her face. “Pres, you have me a little confused and a whole lotta worried.”
I take a deep breath, purse my lips, close my eyes, and let it fly. “Have you done it before?” I slightly crack open my eyelids to see her staring intensely at me.
“Wait! Oh my God! Is this why you don’t want to go out tonight? Do you want to have sex with Brice?” The word sex is a whispered yell as she looks around the room and back at the door before jumping on my bed, all grins and giddy energy. “Wait, would he be your first?” I blush a little, covering my face with my hands. “Oh God! Of course, he would be otherwise you wouldn’t have asked. Pres! I feel honored to be the one having this conversation with you. And don’t worry, I won't say anything to anybody.”
“God, I feel so embarrassed.”
“Why? This is totally normal. And to answer your question, yes, I’ve had sex. I’m not a total slut like Heather, the girl will spread it for anyone, but let’s just say, I’ve been around the block once or twice. My first time was actually with Trey if you can believe it.”
“What!” Umm hello. Talk about shocking. “But I thought you two—”
“What? Had never gone out? We hadn’t. I’m not proud of the way it happened. I guess I always thought my first time would be with someone I was at least in a relationship with, but Trey was honestly everything I wanted in a guy. It’s not like he was some random guy, we’ve been friends since middle school.”
I’m completely dumbfounded. It always seemed like there was something unspoken between them, but this, wow! “So, what happened? If you don’t mind me asking?” She sits down on the bed, completely calm and collected, she is the opposite of my red-faced self.
“We were at a field party last spring celebrating the baseball team’s state win. Flirting led to kissing, which led to touching, which led to the back seat of his truck in the middle of a hayfield. He was so kind and sweet throughout the whole night. He made me feel special, as if I was the only one he wanted to be with. Plenty of girls came up to him, but he stayed by my side and kept his arm around me the entire night. It just kinda happened.”
“So, then what happened afterward?”
“I didn’t want him to think I was one of those clingy types of girls. I didn’t want him to feel obligated to be with me. I just wanted to feel wanted, like I do now, besides I was leaving in a few weeks to travel with my parents over the summer anyway. It didn’t seem fair to tie him down when I wasn’t going to be here anyway. Besides, Trey had never really been the relationship kinda guy anyway, so I wasn’t expecting much afterward anyway. He and Brice are actually a lot alike in a way; they flirt, and then usually they lose interest.”